The Return of the Skywalkers - Rey Skywalker // Book IV in A Spark of Hope

Chapter Fifty Nine- Bodhi.

"Wait - what?" Luke asks. He stares directly at us, a very confused expression painted across his face. "What do you mean this is your home planet?"

"Ca-"

"-We mean, it's our home planet!" Caden explains. "It's where my parents married, it's where me and my sister were born, and it's also where my mom and sister took their last breaths on. It's where all the big moments in our lives happened. So, it's our home planet!"

"Cade-"

"-This is where you're from?!" Rose asks. "Oh gosh, it makes sense. Honestly."

"I thought it looked familiar!" Cassian exclaims. "The minute we stepped off of the ship, I knew we've been here. But I just couldn't place it."

"Ooh, yeah!" Jyn says. "It does look familiar! That stupid droid of yours wouldn't tell us the name of the planet. He knew we'd recognize it even more."

"This is kind of neat!" Poe exclaims. "Now we know a bit more about the mysterious C.J. Rook. This is nice."

"Yes, it's nice." Rose agrees. "Except for the part of your mom and sisters death. That's awful. I'm sorry."

"CADEN JACOB ROOK!"

He turns to me, looking confused.

"Can we talk. Alone?"

"Umm, sure, father." He replies, rolling his eyes and following me. "What do you need?"

"Do NOT share those things with these strangers." I state. "Got it?"

"They aren't strangers." He snaps. "They're friends. Lyra, Poe, Rey, Finn, and Rose, they're my friends. Jyn and Cassian, they're your friends. I don't know what's gotten into you, but you need to wake the heck up and realize that the friends you thought you lost are alive and you need to trust them!"

"Look, I know they're friends." I reply. "But not everyone needs to know that stuff!"

"Friends don't keep secrets from one another!"

"And friends can also turn on you in just a second!" I snap.

Caden sighs. "Dad, I know. I know you haven't trusted anyone since Jacob did that to mom and Nyla, but you can't shut everyone else out. Jyn and Cassian, they're the last of your team. Do you really want to block them out completely?"

"Did I ever tell you about how we named you?" I ask.

"Um, no." He replies. "You didn't."

"Oh, well, when your sister was born, we had no idea what to name her." I explain. "So we came up with something. I got to choose her first name, and she got to choose her middle name. Well, you already know this, but I decided Nyla for her first name, and your mom chose Joy. Because she brought so much joy to us. Her name was Nyla Joy Rook."

I sigh.

"Now, when you were born, we went through the same thing as we did with her. We could not - for the life of us - think of a name for you." I continue. "So, we did the same exact thing we did for her. Only this time, she chose your first name, and I chose your middle name. She, of course, chose Caden, just because she loved that name and it just went perfect with the last name Rook. And, I chose Jacob. Jacob after my, at the time, best friend-"

"-Jacob Matter, I got it."

"Yeah," I nod. "anyway, I named you that. I named you it because he was going to be your guardian. He was going to take care of you if anything ever happened to me and your mom. And it sounded right with your name. Caden Jacob Rook. Your mom loved it, because it started with J, just like your sisters middle name. She said 'you matched'. I agreed. You did match. It was adorable. Obviously."

Caden smiles.

"Now, that very next day, I walked to his house, and told him your name." I say. "He was pretty excited. But he didn't show too much emotion. He never did."

"Does any psychopaths?"

I chuckle.

"Anyway, like I was saying." I state, turning serious again. "He never showed any humanly emotion. I never knew why. Until...almost six years later, just a day before your sixth birthday. I came home from work, just to see you unconscious, and your mother and sister dead. Just a few minutes after I walked into the door, Jacob came in. He tried to pretend he didn't know what happened. I almost believed him. Until he tried to kill you again. I didn't let him, though. My shoulder got stabbed five times in the process, but it was worth it to keep you alive."

"Wait," Caden says. "so those scars? They don't come from Scarif?"

"No," I admit. "they didn't."

"You always told me they did." He states, looking down at the ground. "Dad? Why are you telling me this?"

"Because," I sigh. "you need to know that not all people are trust worthy."

"I know!" He exclaims. "Don't you know that? I know most people aren't trust worthy. But my friends are. Your friends are! You guys fought in a war together. You looked out for each other. They would never turn their backs on you! Please, dad, please talk to them. Before it's too late."

"Fine." I surrender. "I'll talk to them. I'll apologize for the scene I made today. I'm just so worried."

"I am, too." Caden replies. "It took awhile for me to become friends with them. I remember when Rose invited me to hang out with them, I just kept thinking of different excuses so I didn't have to. Finally one day I ran out, and so I had no choice. That was the best thing ever. Because that day I made friends. Friends who very easily became my best friends. And I think it'd be good for you if you gave Jyn and Cassian a chance."

"You know," I say, looking up at him. "I'm your dad. I should be the wise one in this relationship."

"Yeah, you wish." He laughs. "Now, I really need to apologize for walking out like that. I think you should, too."

"Alright, I'll be there in a minute."

"Okay, dad. See you soon."

~

"So, Jyn, Cassian, I just wanted to apologize for how I acted earlier today." I state. "I'm so very sorry. I should not have act the way I did and I wish there was a way I could make it up to you."

"It's alright." Cassian replies. "It wasn't too bad."

"Yeah!" Jyn exclaims. "You have trust issues. It's obvious. Both Cassian and I have those same issues."

"They aren't as bad as they used to be." Cassian states. "They lightened up as the years went by."

"But, Bodhi, if you don't mind me asking, why do you have them?" Jyn asks. "If it's too much, you don't have to answer but-"

"-Nineteen years ago," I cut her off. "my wife and daughter were killed by my best friend."

"Oh, Bodhi, I'm so sorry."

"We had no idea."

"It's alright." I sniffle. "They, along with Caden, were my whole life. I loved them so much. My daughter, her name was Nyla Joy, she was nine when she died. That was the worst day of my life."

Silence fills the room. Until...

"I think I know someone who you could talk to about that." Jyn states. "They had a daughter. Her name was Brittany Jaina, she passed when she was only twelve."

"Who?" I ask, staring at her, a confused expression painted across my face.

"Leia."

—

A/N:

Cliffhanger! (Or is it?)

This storyline that I'm throwing in here is VERY important to Ben's story.

Now, I won't talk about much in this book, but I will talk about it a lot in my other books. (I haven't made them yet.)

Now I REALLY must get to bed. So, goodnight!